Sleep, Diet, and Exercise: How Much Dementia Caregivers Are Affected?

Abstract

The current descriptive study reports the sleep, diet, and exercise patterns among 114 dementia caregivers, whose mean age was 55.7 (SD: 10.4) years, with 83 (72.8%) being women. The results indicate significant sleep dysfunction: 37.2% of caregivers reported rarely or never feeling rested upon waking, and 46.5% did not get enough sleep, with 45.6% sleeping only 5 to 5.5 h on average. Sleep latency was also prevalent, as 33.3% required 16 to 30 min to fall asleep. Dietary habits showed reliance on coffee, with 69.4% consuming it daily. Meat consumption was reported by 75%, and 60.9% ate pasta, indicating common dietary preferences. While 86.2% had one to three meals per day, 100% of the caregivers supplemented their diets with vitamins. The physical activity level was low, with 62.3% of respondents reporting no exercise in the past week. These findings underscore significant health concerns among dementia caregivers, including sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and physical inactivity. The report emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to promote self-care practices that can enhance caregivers' health, including better sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise.